"The Great Commandment" is a song by German synth-pop trio Camouflage. Originally recorded in 1983, the song was re-recorded in 1987 and released as their debut single in 1987. It was included on their 1988 debut album, Voices & Images.
The single gave Camouflage their only number one dance hit. "The Great Commandment" stayed at the top spot for three non-consecutive weeks.[1] The single became popular on independent stations and crossed over to the mainstream American pop charts, peaking at number 59 in February 1989.[2] In their native Germany, "The Great Commandment" went to number 14, and reached the top ten in more than twenty countries.
The music video depicts the band members amongst a crowd of children in a factory, who appear to be protesting against a spokesperson of some kind. One of the children discovers a control panel underneath the stage, and proves that the spokesperson is in fact a robot controlled by the mechanism. This causes the spokesperson to malfunction and fall over, after which the band and children leave.
In 2001, Camouflage re-recorded their debut single "The Great Commandment" and released it that year as a comeback attempt at their label's suggestion. Vocals were also re-recorded. The single was produced by London trio "Toy" and drums were provided by Christian Eigner, former tourmate of Depeche Mode. It reached number 85 on the charts.[citation needed]
